Brown v. Board of Education vs Tim Wise

I liked this week blog because stepped away from all the reading that we have been doing in class. I started off by checking all of the sites at the beginning, they were all very interesting and all had to do with all of the readings. They all very unique. I really like the Be the Change site because that is how we started the class realizing that we need to change certain things in order for the future to be bright. Eva's blog is strong she steps out there and expresses herself. That’s what this class is about and I can also relate to her because I have expressed my feelings and my stories with the class as well. The white privilege video kind of irritated me because the girl was not saying anything, kind of felt like she was bored and just wanted to talk to someone. All she did was basically read of her document and did not clear or express her view probably because she realized that she is part of the white privilege. I felt like if she didn’t think this was a serious matter, I read the article so maybe that's why but to me it seems like this girl is clueless about what exactly this article is about. It’s not just about white privilege and if it exist or not because we all know it does since we do live in a standard society.

What is the relationship between the historical issues you see in the website on Brown v. Board of Education and the contemporary issues of race that Tim Wise raises here?

Both of these issues have to do with race and equal opportunity in education and society. They both talk about how both of these issues have happen because previous acts that have lead to these occurrences. Tim Wise talks about how close minded people our and how they remain with the stereotypes. Both issues talk about how they have had the right support of people in order for them to occur. The connection that no matter what year was living in a post-racial America is no way in sight because we will always be living in a racist society. Both of these issues have broken barriers and moved things forward. The both instill change, that this society does not know how to handle change. Even though a racist America still exist, minorities and ethnicities that go threw oppression are still able to conquer and surpass there obstacles, expectations. This country could never be a truly equal society because no matter the situation there are going to be people against it.

"Racism is not an Excuse but a reason, an obstacle"

Tim Wise said this, at first I didn't understand it but I went over it and made some sense of it. I feel as if he meant to say that Color, Race or Ethnicity is not an excuse for people to feel as if there less or do not count in a White society. That it serves as a reason to be different and a fact about life that we must use as a power source to get the best out of ourselves. That the only obstacle we have in front of ourselves is "oneself" to learn to except yourself and not let dawned by all of these stereotypes.

I also believe that both of these issues have told us to keep our eyes on change which has been said to occur but where still living in a society full of racism. Instead of seeing minorities as people that excel, intelligent and equal. We live with these stereotypes that most white privilege think that just because we look different with different beliefs were generally less intelligent, lazy, and prone to criminality, and live off welfare in order not to work. If they only new that public assistance in the United States is a lottery, that not all unfortunate families get it. At the end of the day you have to pay a price weather its finally or realistically growing up in a bad neighborhood were crack cocaine is every bodies breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think the biggest concern is that we all still live in DENIAL that we still believe that these do not happen. The Equal Society will always be in question no matter how much change is instilled.

I have a pretty funny story that happened to me while at work this weekend at work. I work at Walgreens, as a Pharmacy Technician. I do not have a home store so I go from store to store. I worked at the store in Johnston, off Plainfield Street. Its pretty close to my house. We have our usual customers and then we have other that come in that aren’t the nicest of people. You see so many things working in a Pharmacy. One of our usual customers came in, I know this guy pretty well since I have helped him most of the times I work there. He knows me who I am, so he came to pick up his prescription and it had a high co pay because his Medicare benefits were almost all used up. When I told him the price he looked at me with a blank face and then said and I quote “What the fuck, I cannot believe this!! It's this Black president, he trying to kill us old people. He's a fucking communist N*****. He rather help all these Puerto Rican, Dominicans, and Black people instead of us old people. “I was surprised at my reaction I but my job on the line. I said to him Excuse me sir, I'm Puerto Rican you just offended me and disrespected my family. We have worked hard for what we have. We have never received any type of public assistance, and just for your information I have no insurance, and I have not seen a doctor since I was 18, which I’m now 20. He than tried to apologize. I said no need to apologize it's people like you that have made who I am now, and ill take that has support so I can prove to people like you that we minorities do not need help from anybody in or to succeed. I was shocked after! The pharmacy manager was on; he is a really cool guy. He pulled me to side and said you did the right thing stand up for yourself no matter who is critiquing you. I will defend what you did if anything comes up. I felt really good after that and it just so happens that were talking about President Obama this week.